Livestock-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus From Animals and Animal Products in the UK

[EN] Livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) is an emerging problem in many parts of the world. Although animal-adapted LA-MRSA has been known for many years, recent reports suggest a possible increasing trend in the zoonotic transmission of LA-MRSA in Europe. Since its emergence in the early 2000¿s, several investigations have indicated that persons in prolonged, repeated contact with affected livestock are at a higher risk of becoming colonized with LA-MRSA. LA-MRSA monitoring in livestock is voluntary under current EU legislation, and not all member states, including the UK, participate. UK LA-MRSA isolates have been detected through scanning surveillance, where samples are submitted from clinically diseased livestock for diagnostic investigation, and research studies. Surveys conducted on retail beef, pig and poultry meat on sale in the UK have also detected LA-MRSA. Taken together these results suggest that LA-MRSA is present in the UK, possibly at low prevalence level, as suggested by available evidence. In this review, we examine the data available from UK livestock and animal products, and make recommendations for future. We also review the findings from whole genome sequencing (WGS) of the possible lineage of some UK livestock isolates.We are grateful to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate in the UK for funding this work through VMD0533. FM-J contributed during a sabbatical to the APHA with a grant from Consellería de Educación y Ciencia of Generalitat Valenciana (BEST/2017/050). CM contributed during a sabbatical to the APHA which was supported by a Lecturer research grant from the Santander bank (programme XIII Convocatoria de ayudas a la movilidad investigadora CEU-Banco Santander).Anjum, MF.; Marco-Jiménez, F.; Duncan, D.; Marin-Orenga, C.; Smith, RP.; Evans, SJ. (2019). Livestock-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus From Animals and Animal Products in the UK. Frontiers in Microbiology. 10:1-7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2019.02136S171

Responses to Increased Salinity and Severe Drought in the Eastern Iberian Endemic Species Thalictrum maritimum (Ranunculaceae), Threatened by Climate Change

[EN] Thalictrum maritimum is an endangered, endemic species in East Spain, growing in areas of relatively low salinity in littoral salt marshes. A regression of its populations and the number of individuals has been registered in the last decade. This study aimed at establishing the causes of this reduction using a multidisciplinary approach, including climatic, ecological, physiological and biochemical analyses. The climatic data indicated that there was a direct negative correlation between increased drought, especially during autumn, and the number of individuals censused in the area of study. The susceptibility of this species to water deficit was confirmed by the analysis of growth parameters upon a water deficit treatment applied under controlled greenhouse conditions, with the plants withstanding only 23 days of complete absence of irrigation. On the other hand, increased salinity does not seem to be a risk factor for this species, which behaves as a halophyte, tolerating in controlled treatments salinities much higher than those registered in its natural habitat. The most relevant mechanisms of salt tolerance in T. maritimum appear to be based on the control of ion transport, by (i) the active transport of toxic ions to the aerial parts of the plants at high external salinity¿where they are presumably stored in the leaf vacuoles to avoid their deleterious effects in the cytosol, (ii) the maintenance of K+ concentrations in belowground and aboveground organs, despite the increase of Na+ levels, and (iii) the salt-induced accumulation of Ca2+, particularly in stems and leaves. This study provides useful information for the management of the conservation plans of this rare and endangered species.This research was funded by GENERALITAT VALENCIANA, grant number AICO/2017/039, to M. Boscaiu.González-Orenga, S.; Trif, C.; Donat-Torres, MP.; Llinares Palacios, JV.; Collado, F.; Ferrer-Gallego, PP.; Laguna, E.... (2020). Responses to Increased Salinity and Severe Drought in the Eastern Iberian Endemic Species Thalictrum maritimum (Ranunculaceae), Threatened by Climate Change. Plants. 9(10):1-24. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9101251S124910Laguna Lumbreras, E., & Ferrer Gallego, P. P. (2015). Global environmental change in the unique flora: Endangered plant communities in the Valencia region. Mètode Revista de difusió de la investigació, 0(6). doi:10.7203/metode.6.4127Gómez Mercado, F., de Haro Lozano, S., & López-Carrique, E. (2017). Impacts of future climate scenarios on hypersaline habitats and their conservation interest. Biodiversity and Conservation, 26(11), 2717-2734. doi:10.1007/s10531-017-1382-0Dufour, M. L. (1860). Diagnoses Et Observations Critiques Sur Quelques Plantes D’Espagne Mal Connues Ou Nouvelles. 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Rivas-Saenz, Phytosociological Research Center, Spain http://www.globalbioclimatics.orgThe Agroclimatic Information System for Irrigation (SIAR, Sistema de Información Agroclimática para Regadío), Benifaió, Llíria and Moncada Agro-Meteorological Stations http://eportal.miteco.gob.es/websiar/Inicio.aspxAl Hassan, M., Chaura, J., López-Gresa, M. P., Borsai, O., Daniso, E., Donat-Torres, M. P., … Boscaiu, M. (2016). Native-Invasive Plants vs. Halophytes in Mediterranean Salt Marshes: Stress Tolerance Mechanisms in Two Related Species. Frontiers in Plant Science, 7. doi:10.3389/fpls.2016.00473Kozminska, A., Al Hassan, M., Hanus-Fajerska, E., Naranjo, M. A., Boscaiu, M., & Vicente, O. (2018). Comparative analysis of water deficit and salt tolerance mechanisms in Silene. South African Journal of Botany, 117, 193-206. doi:10.1016/j.sajb.2018.05.022González-Orenga, S., Llinares, J. V., Al Hassan, M., Fita, A., Collado, F., Lisón, P., … Boscaiu, M. (2020). 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Insights on Salt Tolerance of Two Endemic Limonium Species from Spain

[EN] We have analysed the salt tolerance of two endemic halophytes of the genus Limonium, with high conservation value. In the present study, seed germination and growth parameters as well as different biomarkers-photosynthetic pigments, mono and divalent ion contents-associated to salt stress were evaluated in response to high levels of NaCl. The study was completed with an untargeted metabolomics analysis of the primary compounds including carbohydrates, phosphoric and organic acids, and amino acids, identified by using a gas chromatography and mass spectrometry platform. Limonium albuferae proved to be more salt-tolerant than L. doufourii, both at the germination stage and during vegetative growth. The degradation of photosynthetic pigments and the increase of Na+/K+ ratio under salt stress were more accentuated in the less tolerant second species. The metabolomics analysis unravelled several differences between the two species. The higher salt tolerance of L. albuferae may rely on its specific accumulation of fructose and glucose under high salinity conditions, the first considered as a major osmolyte in this genus. In addition, L. albuferae showed steady levels of citric and malic acids, whereas the glutamate family pathway was strongly activated under stress in both species, leading to the accumulation of proline (Pro) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA).This research was funded by GENERALITAT VALENCIANA, grant number AICO/2017/039, to M. Boscaiu.González-Orenga, S.; Ferrer-Gallego, PP.; Laguna, E.; López-Gresa, MP.; Donat-Torres, MP.; Verdeguer Sancho, MM.; Vicente, O.... (2019). Insights on Salt Tolerance of Two Endemic Limonium Species from Spain. Metabolites. 9(12):1-22. https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo9120294S12291

Multidisciplinary studies supporting conservation programmes of two rare, endangered Limonium species from Spain

[EN] Background and aims Two local threatened endemics from Valencian salt marshes were analysed from a multidisciplinary perspective combining field studies with experiments performed under greenhouse-controlled conditions. The work aimed to investigate the habitat of the two species but also to explore their limits of tolerance to severe drought and salinity and the mechanisms behind their stress responses. Methods The number of individuals in several populations, climatic conditions, soil characteristics and accompanying vegetation in the natural habitats were analysed in the field study. Plants obtained by seed germination were grown in the greenhouse and subjected to one month of water and salt stress treatments. Growth and biochemical parameters were analysed after the treatments were finalised. Results No correlation between climatic parameters and the number of individuals censed of the two Limonium species could be established. Although L. dufourii was found in more saline soils in the natural habitats, under controlled greenhouse conditions, this species was more severely affected by salt treatment than L. albuferae, which is more susceptible to water stress. A common biochemical response was the increase of proline under all stress treatments, but mostly in water-stressed plants. Oxidative stress markers, MDA and H2O2, did not indicate significant differences between the treatments. The differences in the two species¿ responses to the two kinds of stress were correlated with the activation of the antioxidant enzymes, more pronounced in conditions of salt stress in L. albuferae and of water stress in L. dufourii. Conclusions Although L. albuferae is found in sites with lower salinity in the natural habitats, the greenhouse experiment indicated that it tolerates higher concentrations of salt than L. dufouri, which is more resistant to drought. The two species efficiently mitigate oxidative stress by activation of antioxidant enzymes. The results obtained may be helpful for the conservation management of the two species: whereas salinity is not problematic, as the two species tolerated under controlled conditions salinities far beyond those in their natural environments, water scarcity may be a problem for L. albuferae, which proved to be more susceptible to water deficit.This research was supported by the project AICO/2017/039 from Generalitat Valenciana. We are indebted to Dr Inmaculada Bautista (Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Spain) for her valuable suggestions for improving the manuscript. Thanks to Inmaculada Ferrando Pardo for helping in the study and conservation of the seeds in the Centre for Forest Research and Experimentation of the Valencian Region (CIEF).González-Orenga, S.; Donat-Torres, MP.; Llinares Palacios, JV.; Navarro, A.; Collado, F.; Ferrer-Gallego, PP.; Laguna Lumbreras, E.... (2021). Multidisciplinary studies supporting conservation programmes of two rare, endangered Limonium species from Spain. Plant and Soil. 466(1-2):505-524. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-021-05059-95055244661-

Chromogenic enzyme substrates based on [2-(nitroaryl)ethenyl]pyridinium and quinolinium derivatives for the detection of nitroreductase activity in clinically important microorganisms†

A series of [2-(nitroaryl)ethenyl]pyridinium and quinolinium derivatives have been synthesised as potential indicators of microbial nitroreductase activity. When assessed against a selection of 20 clinically important pathogenic microorganisms, microbial colonies of various colours (yellow, green, red, brown, black) were produced and attributed to nitroreductase activity. Most substrates elicited colour responses with Gram-negative microorganisms. In contrast, the growth of several species of Gram-positive microorganisms and yeasts was often inhibited by the substrates and hence coloured responses were not seen. Graphical abstract: Chromogenic enzyme substrates based on [2-(nitroaryl)ethenyl]pyridinium and quinolinium derivatives for the detection of nitroreductase activity in clinically important microorganism

Studies on salt and drought tolerance of endemic and rare species in Valencian salt marshes as a tool for reintroduction programmes

[EN] Plant growth under stress conditions depends on the effectiveness of tolerance mechanisms in each species. The strategy of conducting comparative studies on genetically related taxa with different degrees of tolerance is a valuable approach, especially for distinguishing tolerance-relevant responses. The results may help design and implement conservation, reinforcement or reintroduction programmes and manage threatened populations of such rare and endemic species in the area of interest, the Albufera Natural ParkGonzález-Orenga, S.; Ferrer, PP.; Boscaiu, M.; Vicente, O.; Laguna, E. (2022). Studies on salt and drought tolerance of endemic and rare species in Valencian salt marshes as a tool for reintroduction programmes. Flora Mediterranea. 32:361-365. https://doi.org/10.7320/FlMedit32.3613613653